BAKU -- Russia is against creating borders at the Caspian Sea, IRNA quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Viktor Kalyuzhny as saying here on Thursday.

Kalyuzhny, who is also Russian presidential envoy for the Caspian settlement, took part in an international conference, "Great Volga Route", devoted to the 1000th anniversary of Kazan in Baku on Thursday.

"It is not correct to create any borders in the Caspian region," the Russian diplomat said. He stressed that the four out of five coastal countries are part of the CIS.

Kalyuzhny said every Caspian country should control its territory. "We are not against this. But we are against pure sovereignty on these territories," the diplomat said. In his view, such approach can provoke many problems not only in relations between the states but also between the peoples.

He said he considers the Caspian Sea unique. Both coastal countries and 90 cities situated on the Great Volga Route are interested in solving the Caspian problem.

Earlier in the day, Kalyuzhny said a meeting of foreign ministers of Caspian states is planned for the end of this year or the beginning of 2004.

As for the meeting of the foreign ministers of the littoral states, at which a draft convention of the status of the Caspian Sea, the Russian diplomat said it could be held in the first half of 2004. "Now we are working on this document alone," Kalyuzhny said.

He said the talks of working groups at the level of deputy foreign ministers "are going positively, considering the frequency of their meetings".

"We have what to talk about and the wish to exchange opinions," Kalyuzhny said.

He stressed that this mood had allowed the experts to prepare a frame convention on protection of the Caspian Sea's environment.

"I think that this documents will be signed in November," the diplomat said.

Kalyuzhny said key problems for achieving accords on the Caspian Sea were demilitarization, the creation of fishing zones, free shipping, including on the Volga, and establishment of borders of the five littoral states.

He said these issues were outside competence of the working groups of deputy foreign ministers and could be solved only by presidents of the Caspian states.

The diplomat said there had been progress in the talks on the status of the Caspian Sea, in particular contacts that had become regular between Iran, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan.

"This indicates that Iran is set to find a solution to the Caspian problem", Kalyuzhny said, adding that Russia supports this process.